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Minister Zweli Mkhize Public Briefing StatementSouth Africa’s COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy
3 January 2021
The Deputy Minister Dr Joe Phaahla
Members of the Executive Present
The Director General of Health Dr Sandile Buthelezi
Senior Officials of the Department of Health
Members of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19 Vaccines and
Members of the Vaccine Task Team
Members of the Media
Fellow South Africans
Thank you for the opportunity to present the Department of Health’s Vaccine Rollout
Strategy.
We have always said that the second wave is going to come and that the only way
we will be protected is by developing herd immunity through vaccination. Because of
that we have been working very hard by following all the research and development
that has taken place globally. At this point we do believe that the issue of rolling out
vaccines has to be handled with urgency and that is what has driven us to expedite
the availability of vaccines. We believe that vaccines have to be made available to all
the South Africans, starting with frontline health care workers and the most vulnera-
ble to ensure there is protection for them first as the most vulnerable groups.
The vaccines will need to be made available quickly so that most of our citizens are
covered by the end of the first year of rollout- this year.
We have taken much of the advice of the MAC on Vaccines, which we introduced to
the country in September, and we will ask Professor Barry Schoub, the chair of the
MAC on Vaccines, to reintroduce the members in a little while and talk on the work
they have been doing. The MAC on Vaccines has been working a grueling schedule
since it was formed in September, in partnership with government, to advise us on
the developments worldwide , suitability of candidates for our country and rollout
strategies. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their selfless service
to the country and for their expertise and dedication. I would like to indicate that the
advisories from MAC will be uploaded by the end of this press briefing
Based on their advisories and input from various stakeholders, including other gov-
ernment departments, we have set up structures to expedite financing, sourcing and
procurement and therefore the issue of the vaccine strategy will get undivided atten-
tion from Department and government. We therefore want to assure the public that
we are very mindful of the urgency, particularly as we feel the impact of the second
wave we are currently experiencing.
The purpose is to brief media on work being done to expedite the availability of vac-
cines for South Africans- I will touch on some of the key issues and Prof Barry
Schoub and Dr Anban Pillay from the Department of Health will expand on these is-
sues.
We are targeting minimum of 67% of the population to achieve herd immunity and
the approach will be a phased rollout of the vaccine beginning with the most vulner-
able in our population:
Phase One:
• Front line health care workers (HCW). Target population: 1,250,000
Phase Two:
•Essential workers. Target population: 2,500,000
•Persons in congregate settings. Target population: 1,100,000
•Persons >60 years. Target population: 5,000,000
•Persons >18 years with co-morbidities. Target population: 8,000,000
Phase 3
•Other persons >18 years. Target population: 22,500,000
This means that by the end of phase 3, 40 350 000 citizens will have been immu-
nized which is equivalent to approximately 67,25% of the population as we have in-
dicated.
At this stage we have secured the doses that will be acquired through COVAX which
will ensure that we immunize 10% of the population through this mechanism and, in
line with President's statement, we expect the processes will have delivered the vac-
cine by beginning of second quarter. The funds to pay the outstanding amount after
the deposit that has been made by the Solidarity Fund , around 1,8 billion, have
been allocated and let us take the opportunity to once again appreciate the manner
in which the Solidarity Fund has partnered with government.
Having secured for 10% of the population, we have embarked on other efforts to get
the rest of the 57% of the population to be targeted by the end 2021 but, more impor-
tantly we are making efforts to obtain vaccines much earlier, hopefully as early as
February 2021. This will very much depend on the success of current bilateral nego-
tiations we are in the midst of with various companies
Additionally we have embarked on Public Private Partnerships with very good out-
comes and we have approached medical aids to be part of the co-financing. The
process is now at a stage where the Council for Medical Schemes has engaged var-
ious medical schemes and I have signed amendments of regulations to allow for
vaccines and other therapeutics to be part of the prescribed minimum benefits
Business has also been engaged, particularly through Business Unity South Africa
(BUSA) And therefore the total financing arrangement will include medical schemes,
business and government with an arrangement made with Solidarity fund to provide
a platform for collection of funds and for expedited and controlled procurement pro-
cesses.
To optimize availability of stock for ourselves we are negotiating with all the manufac-
turers and pursuing those who are indicating appetite to make vaccines available
sooner. We are in sensitive discussions and at this stage are bound by Non Disclo-
sure Agreements but we will make announcements as soon as negotiations are con-
cluded and the NDA’s have been lifted
We are working closely with SAHPRA for regulatory clearance and so we believe
they are ready to rapidly process applications.
Department has embarked on distribution and delivering structures: through national
government, public sector, private sector, civil society, labour, traditional leaders and
structures that will report to Provincial and District Co-ordinating Councils. This will
ensure that we take all of society with us and get community buy and a well co-ordi-
nated campaign that is successfully ruled out with good uptake of the vaccinations
offered.
A lot of work has been involved and we will be doing more to communicate to the
public to dispel some misconceptions and to ensure preparation for this massive
campaign particularly because some of the vaccines will require two doses and it will
be very important that we do not lose clients to follow up.
I have participated directly in discussions with vaccine manufacturers and we also
participate in the ACT- Accelerator- where we are co-chairs with Norway- and the
Africa Vaccine Initiative Task Team, which was initiated by president Ramaphosa and
this makes us focus on Africa’s acquisition of vaccines as expeditiously as many
other countries are able to do so.
I hope this gives an overview of the efforts we have made to ensure that we do not
get left behind in the equitable distribution of vaccines globally.
Issued by the Ministry of Health
Contact:
Dr Lwazi Manzi
MLO Minister of Health
0826788979